Presentation from Ashley Ford

1. Engaging Millennials in
Disability Advocacy
Ashley Ford, TCDD Public Policy and Communications Specialist

2. Overview of Today’s Presentation
• Who are Millennials?
• Why should TCDD embrace this
generation?
• How can TCDD better engage and
connect with this generation?
• Look out for the lightbulb icon for
discussion questions we want you to help
answer!

3. Discussion Question: What have
you heard about Millennials?

4. Millennials

5. What’s a Millennial?
• Pew defines Millennials as the
generation born from 1981 to 1997
• Age in 2018: 22 to 37
• AKA “Generation Y” , the “Peter Pan
Generation”, and “Boomerang
Generation”
• Millennials surpassed Baby Boomers
as the nation’s largest living generation
in 2015

6. What are Millennials’ traits?
The Good 
• Most educated US generation ever
• Racially diverse
• Tech savvy
• Open to change
• Task (not time) oriented
• Have a hunger for learning
• Want to have fun
• Motivated by “meaning”

7. What are Millennials’ stereotypes?
The Ugly 
• Lazy
• Entitled
• Narcissists
• Still live with their parents
• Dependent on technology
• Difficult to manage
• Unreliable
• Delusional

8. Key Events in the Life of “Millennial Mary”
1990 (0)
•Mary is born
•ADA is passed
•"Education for
All Handicapped
Children Act" is
reauthorized
and renamed
the "Individuals
with Disabilities
Education Act"
1995 (5)
•Mary starts
kindergarten
•Mary gets a
Game Boy
2000 (10)
•Mary is
introduced to the
World Wide Web
•Federal Olmstead
implementation
begins
•Mary watches the
US presidential
election and vote
recount
2001 (11)
•The NCLB Act
is Passed
•September 11
Attacks Occur
2004 (14)
•Access to
special
education
services is
reduced in
Texas
2005 (15)
•Mary signs up for
Myspace
•Google redefines
the internet
•Hurricane
Katrina hits
2007 (17)
•Mary gets
her first
iPhone
•Mary signs
up for
Facebook
2008 (18)
•Mary graduates
high school and
begins college
•Mary votes for
the first time
•A global
economic
recession begins
2012 (22)
•Mary is the
first in her
family to
graduate
college and
starts looking
for a job
2015 (25)
•Mary's
generation
became the
largest living
generation
Discussion Question: In your opinion, what, if any,
events are missing from this timeline?

9. Millennials and Disability
• This generation has had the most
opportunities for self-advocacy,
individualized planning, and the ability to
use their own voices in the history of the
disability community.
• Many have grown up in classrooms,
playing sports, and participating in other
activities with peers who have intellectual
and other disabilities.

10. During 2014–2016, the
prevalence of children aged
3–17 years who had ever
been diagnosed with a
developmental disability
increased from 5.76% to
6.99%.

11. Millennials as Parents
• In 2017, Millennials made up 90% of
all new parents.
• 52% of Millennial parents say that
being a good parent is their highest
priority in life.
• 71% of Millennial moms and dads
turn to the Internet or social media
for help and support with parenting.
Recommended Reading: Romper’s Now You See
Us series describes six millennials moms’
experiences raising a child with a disability.
Discussion Question: How do you think Millennial parents who have a child with a
disability differ from previous generations of parents?

12. Millennials & Nonprofits
• 30% are interested in serving on a nonprofit
organization’s board or advisory committee
• 48% want to use their educational
background or professional expertise to help
a nonprofit
• 57% are involved as a nonprofit board,
committee or young board/committee
member
• 47% deplore having to “attend long training
sessions in person for things that could be
explained virtually”

13. Motivations
for Involvement
Millennials’ chief motivations for getting
involved are:
1. working on a cause they are passionate
about (79%),
2. meeting new people who care about the
same cause or issue (56%), and
3. being able to lend pro-bono skills and
expertise (46%).

14. Millennials Care About:
Discussion Question: What, if anything, about this data do you find surprising?

16. These are Millennials’
most typical behaviors for
getting involved in issues
they care about 

17. These are Millennials’
most typical behaviors for
getting involved in issues
they care about 

18. Millennials are “Clicktivists”
• “Clicktivism” is the use of digital
media for facilitating social change
and activism.
• Examples of clicktivism:
• ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
• #BringBackOurGirls
• #SideBySide

19. Clicktivism: Disability Advocacy
• Inclusive citizenship requires that
everyone enjoys fair and equal
opportunities to participate in public
life.
• Clicktivism initiatives can provide
people with disabilities new ways to
participate in democratic processes
through online actions.

22. What’s in a name?
When asked how they would label their support on behalf of each issue of interest, Millennial
respondents most often said they considered themselves a cause/social issue supporter(49% of the
time) – far above the percentage selecting the label of activist (21%), advocate (17%) or ally (11%).

23. How Millennials See Government’s Role

24. Final Discussion Questions
• What information from this
presentation surprises you the
most?
• Why should TCDD embrace this
generation?
• How can TCDD better engage and
connect with this generation?

25. Resources
• Plugged in with Purpose: How to Engage Millennials in Advocacy webinar
• The Millennial Impact Report website
• 4 Insights For Nonprofits From The 2016 Millennial Impact Report article
• Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation article
• Millennials As New Parents: The Rise of New American Pragmatism report
• Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next report
• Disability Rights Advocacy Online: Voice, Empowerment and Global
Connectivity book